"Sister, please be busy first. I still have some things to deal with, so I won't compensate you."
Tang Shuwan held up her long skirt, covered her face and ran away, walking quickly.
"Miss? Miss, wait for me, piece of cloth. Miss, don't you want this piece of cloth?"
The little maid Minglan was holding the piece of cloth, looking a little clumsy, and chased after him, shouting as she ran. What made her depressed was that the more she shouted to the young lady in front of her, the faster she ran.
Liu Huixiang walked out of the room and watched them leave.
He shook his head with a smile and went to close the courtyard door himself.
The moment she turned around, her expression gradually became serious.
It seems that not only she wants a child, but Tang Shuwan also has this idea.
Returning to the room, sitting in front of the window, and picking up her needlework again, she suddenly thought of a possibility, could it be... Su Xian couldn't do it? !
Liu Huixiang's expression changed slightly. She glanced at the needle and thread in her hand and had no intention of sewing anymore.
The more she thought about it, the more likely it was that "Su Xian couldn't do it" because she had been with Su Xian for so long and secretly slept together before they got married.
Then there was Tang Shuwan, but after such a long time, there was no movement in her and Tang Shuwan's stomachs!
It would be possible to say that it was difficult for her to conceive because of her age, but Tang Shuwan was only nineteen years old, so it was impossible and there would be a problem.
In addition, there are Luo Xiu Niang and the twenty concubines.
Su Xian didn't sleep with them many times, but there were twenty-one of them. The base was large enough, so logically it should be...
Thinking of this, Liu Huixiang could no longer remain calm.
…
It is said that after Tang Shuwan escaped back to the main courtyard, the first thing she did was to scold the little maid Minglan.
Minglan was just eager to show her merit, not really stupid. She quickly understood her mistake, sincerely admitted it, lowered her head and shrank her neck and endured the scolding.
However, now that the matter was over, Tang Shuwan was angry for a while and that was all.
Then he took the piece of fabric from Minglan and discussed the cutting and style issues...
Suddenly, a maid came to report that Tang Ju had arrived at the Hou Mansion.
"Daddy is here? Where is he?" Tang Shuwan dropped the scissors and cloth and stood up. She had not seen Tang Ju for quite some time.
"In the front hall." the maid replied.
Tang Shuwan and her maid immediately rushed to the front hall.
The Marquis Mansion was very large, and it took her about half an hour to walk from the main courtyard.
"Daddy!"
When she came to the front hall, she immediately saw Tang Ju, wearing a crimson round-collar official robe, sitting there drinking tea, and hurriedly came forward to pay her respects.
Tang Ju held the position of "Yin of the Henan Prefecture" and also held some positions in the Ministry of Industry and the Censor's Office. It could be said that he was busy with affairs and sat in the Henan Prefecture's Yamen every day. It was rare for him to come to the Marquis's Mansion.
"Um."
Tang Ju put down his tea cup, smoothed his goatee, looked at Tang Shuwan and said with a smile, "I haven't seen you for a few days, Wan'er, your complexion has improved a lot. It seems that you are doing well in the Hou Mansion."
"Thank you for your concern, dad. I feel really guilty that my daughter cannot fulfill her filial piety in front of her parents." Tang Shuwan bowed.
"Hey." Tang Ju waved his hand, his face suddenly straightened, and he showed the majesty of a father and lectured:
"Since ancient times, married daughters have thrown away water. You are already a member of the Su family. It is good to think about your mother and me, but your thoughts should be on your husband's family and the Marquis's mansion!"
"Yes, daddy is right, my daughter understands." Tang Shuwan bowed again, with the same etiquette as before.
When Tang Ju saw this, he suddenly remembered that Tang Shuwan was no longer the daughter who had not left the court. She was now the wife of the current Taiwei, and she still had a first-class official status!
And what about him, Tang Ju?
Although he has been busy all day long, in terms of rank, he is only a third rank, which is far worse than his daughter's first rank.
If it were a formal occasion, it would be him who took the initiative to salute Tang Shuwan, instead of sitting there awkwardly like now and lecturing her.
Speak in a tone of voice.
After understanding this, Tang Ju couldn't sit still anymore and stood up from the chair. He deliberately coughed twice to cover up his inner embarrassment and said, "It's good that you understand, so I can rest assured."
"Dad, having said that, my daughter is already married, and Jing'er... Besides, Jing'er will also get married in the future, so only dad and mother are left in the family..."
Tang Shuwan couldn't help but look worried as she spoke.
She grew up in a wealthy family and knew the problems of a large family. Tang Ju only had two daughters. She would not have a son to rely on when she gets old. I'm afraid... something bad would happen.
In the beginning, the reason why Tang Ju took his family to Hebei Province to serve as a mere county magistrate was because Tang Ju had no children and could not get care from his family.
Moreover, they have also suffered ridicule from other members of the family...
Tang Ju instantly understood Tang Shuwan's thoughts.
He laughed, waved his hand, and said calmly:
"Wan'er, you are worrying too much. Today is different from the past. Your father and I are now the third-rank governor of Henan Prefecture. Our status in the family is getting more and more important day by day. The situation you are worried about will not happen. "
"Yes." Tang Shuwan nodded and understood.
"However, it's all thanks to my virtuous son-in-law. Without him, our family might still be living in that remote place in Hebei Province." Tang Ju was filled with emotion.
"Yes." Tang Shuwan nodded lightly, with a satisfied smile on her lips. Being able to marry Su Xian as her wife was the most glorious thing for her in this life.
After Tang Ju laughed for a while, he suddenly stopped.
He suddenly thought of a question, looked at Tang Shuwan and said:
"Wan'er, you are right to worry. Heirs are very important, especially boys. They are not only the guarantee of the family's stability, but also the basis for your foothold in the Marquis Mansion!"
Tang Shuwan didn't think anything of Tang Ju's first half sentence.
But in the second half of the sentence, Tang Shuwan heard some clues. Her father was reminding her to give birth to a baby soon!
This is actually true. In ancient times, especially for wealthy families like the Hou Mansion, the continuation of heirs was very important and related to the rise and fall of the family.
There is also the golden rule of "mother is more valuable than son". Only by giving birth to a legitimate son can her throne as the mistress of the Hou Mansion be stable!
"My daughter understands." Tang Shuwan was a little shy. Fortunately, Tang Ju didn't go into details and just mentioned it briefly.
"My father is relieved to see that you are well. There is still something to do in the yamen, so I will go first." Tang Ju turned around and prepared to leave.
"My daughter is sending her father out." Tang Shuwan hurriedly escorted her personally.
On the way, Tang Shuwan suddenly thought of a question: "By the way, I wonder how it would be for my mother to come here? My daughter is already married, and Jing'er has also traveled far away. My mother is alone at home, I'm afraid..."
"Your mother..." Tang Ju hesitated a little, his expression changed slightly, and finally said:
"You don't have to worry about her. Although she is... lonely at home, she is actually doing well. Well, I will send someone to ask her to go to the Hou Mansion now."
"Thank you daddy."
"Um."
"..."
After seeing off Tang Ju, Tang Shuwan did not return to the main courtyard, but returned to the front hall and waited for the arrival of her mother, Mrs. Chen.
After Mrs. Chen arrives, she will have a good chat with her mother.
In her imagination, her mother's family was a family of four. She was married, Jing'er went to Southern Chu but did not return, and Tang Ju was busy with official duties all day long and was not allowed to go home.
Then Mrs. Chen is the only one left in the family.
How lonely it would be for Mrs. Chen to guard the entire house by herself!
She is married and cannot fulfill her filial piety in front of her parents, so she can only spend time with her parents. This is her intention...
However, she waited in the front hall for half an hour, but Mrs. Chen hadn't arrived yet.
After waiting for another full hour, Mrs. Chen still didn’t come!
Where are people?
Tang Shuwan was suspicious. Didn't it mean that Mrs. Chen was lonely at home alone? Why haven't you come to the Hou Mansion for so long? Could it be caused by
Wouldn't it be nice for her to chat with Mrs. Chen to relieve her boredom?
Just when Tang Shuwan couldn't hold back her anger and was about to send someone to inquire, the boy outside came to report that Mrs. Chen had finally arrived!
"Mom is finally here!"
Tang Shuwan was immediately overjoyed. She put her suspicions behind her and ran towards the door of the house with her skirt in hand. She wanted to personally welcome Mrs. Chen into the house.
After running out of the mansion, Mrs. Chen's carriage happened to stop on the street in front of the mansion.
"Mother!"
Tang Shuwan was filled with excitement. Not only had she not seen her father Tang Ju for a long time, but she had also not seen Mrs. Chen for a long time. In addition, she had just gotten married and she still couldn't let go of her feelings for her mother's family.
Holding up her skirt, she ran directly to the carriage.
"Wan'er."
Mrs. Chen got out of the carriage and when she saw Tang Shuwan, her face turned into a smile.
Tang Shuwan hurriedly helped her get out of the carriage. At the same time, she found that Mrs. Chen looked very good and did not look lonely or lonely at all.
Could it be that my mother was so happy because she saw me? Well, that's it... Tang Shuwan thought secretly in her heart.
"Mother, why are you here just now? Teach your daughter to wait." The mother and daughter held hands cordially and walked side by side towards the gate of the Marquis Mansion, followed by a bunch of maids and servants.
"Oh, I just came from Princess Qilin." Mrs. Chen started chatting: "That Princess Qilin comes to play cards with me every day, but her card skills are so bad that she always loses money... Hahaha..."
After hearing this, Tang Shuwan's expression froze slightly.
What's the meaning?
Didn't it mean that Mrs. Chen was lonely at home alone?
Mrs. Chen did not notice the subtle change in Tang Shuwan's expression and continued to smile: "My luck is getting better and better these days. I make a lot of money every day. People like Princess Qilin are so stupid..."
Tang Shuwan twitched the corner of her mouth, and she finally understood.
Mrs. Chen is also a person who is "busy" all day long and has no home.
Fortunately, she thought Mrs. Chen was alone and lonely at home.
It turns out that I was overthinking...
All the way to the back hall, they dismissed all the maids, leaving only the two of them shaking hands and talking for a long time in the room.
Tang Shuwan is now a wife, and she and Mrs. Chen have many common topics. Mrs. Chen also provides "all-round guidance" to Tang Shuwan as an experienced person.
Suddenly, after finishing a topic, Mrs. Chen looked at Tang Shuwan with a serious face.
He stood up slowly, moved closer to his daughter, and shouted, "Wan'er, don't move!"
"Mother?" Tang Shuwan was a little confused. Mrs. Chen's strange behavior puzzled her. Could it be that there was something dirty on her face?
"Don't move, don't move."
Mrs. Chen leaned over and slowly came closer. She suddenly squatted down, turned her head, and placed her whole ear on Tang Shuwan's belly, as if listening.
"Mom, what are you doing?"
Tang Shuwan was a little confused, looking down at Mrs. Chen's head, raising her hands in the air with nowhere to rest, neither pushing Mrs. Chen away nor holding Mrs. Chen's head.
"Why is there no movement?"
After listening for a while, Mrs. Chen looked puzzled, and then smiled and said: "It must be my grandson who is sleeping. Please be quiet, be quiet."
After saying that, she straightened up, returned to Tang Shuwan's side and sat down again. She grabbed Tang Shuwan's little hand and said with a smile: "You girl, you didn't send anyone to tell my mother about such a big thing!"
"Mom, what are you talking about?" Tang Shuwan felt that her head was stuck. She vaguely guessed something, but she felt it was too ridiculous and she didn't want to believe it.
"After all this, you're still pretending to be Hu Tu!"
Mrs. Chen had an expression on her face that was filled with hatred for steel, and she said earnestly:
"Pregnancy and childbirth are a process that a woman must go through. Have you forgotten what my mother taught you before you got married? Your child is already the wife of a prince, and you are so worried."
At this time, even if Tang Shuwan felt ridiculous, she had to accept this reality and said with a look of astonishment: "Mom, what are you talking about? My daughter is not... not pregnant yet."
Woolen cloth! "
"What?!"
Mrs. Chen looked shocked, her eyes almost rolled out of her eyes. She glanced at Tang Shuwan's face, then looked down at Tang Shuwan's flat belly, and said in astonishment:
"You're not pregnant? But didn't your father send someone to say..."
"Daddy sent someone to say that his daughter is pregnant?" Tang Shuwan just stayed where she was.
"..."
Later, Tang Shuwan figured it out.
It turned out that when Tang Ju first sent someone to call Mrs. Chen, Mrs. Chen was addicted to playing cards and couldn't move at all.
Tang Ju sent someone to call her several more times, and finally got angry and said directly, "Your daughter is pregnant, why don't you, a mother, go and see her?" After hearing this, Mrs. Chen rushed to the Hou Mansion in a hurry.
Tang Shuwan immediately couldn't laugh or cry. No wonder, after waiting in the front hall for so long, Mrs. Chen arrived late. It turned out that there were such twists and turns...
The misunderstanding was resolved.
Both mother and daughter smiled awkwardly.
"Daughter, although the misunderstanding is a misunderstanding, it is indeed a problem."
After Mrs. Chen smiled, she said:
"You have been married into the Hou Mansion for a long time, right? Although the Taiwei spends a lot of time away from home, you are the mistress of the Hou Mansion, and you spend the most time with the Taiwei."
"But why are you so disappointed? There is no movement in your stomach?"
Tang Shuwan unconsciously lowered her head, not daring to look into Mrs. Chen's eyes.
Mrs. Chen took her hand and continued:
"The fact that you can marry into the Marquis Mansion is the greatest blessing in your life, but there are still many days to come. If you don't give birth to a son and a half daughter as soon as possible, how will you stabilize your position as mistress?"
"Although your mother and I did not give birth to a son, your father is different from ordinary people. But even so, how much suffering did my mother endure when she was young? And when you grew up, why did your father take our family to Hebei Province? ?」
"..."
Tang Shuwan just lowered her head and said nothing.
Mrs. Chen came closer, took her daughter's hand, and asked something in a low voice.
After Tang Shuwan heard this, her ears turned red immediately, she pursed her lips, lowered her head and did not dare to speak.
"Silly girl, didn't you read those wedding letters that your mother gave you before you got married? Could it be that between you and the Taiwei..."
"Mom, stop talking." Although Tang Shuwan was shy and embarrassed, she had to stop Mrs. Chen and said, "Both my daughter and husband...are fine. My daughter has also read...my mother's books."
"Then why hasn't your stomach moved yet? It shouldn't be!" Mrs. Chen frowned.
